Corvette Racing GT3.R No. 36 out swinging at Long Beach before contact knocked him to the back of the green. But it didn’t last long, as the team returned to its best results of the season.
The 36 Vette GT3.R was paired by racers Robert Wickens and Mason Filippi. Wickens, who suffers from paralysis, uses adaptive driving technology on his Corvette Racing machine, including an electronic braking system and Bosch hand controls. Wickens grabbed the GTD pole position in Friday’s qualifying session, and kept the race car at the front for all 25 laps.
“Honestly, it was an incredible task,” Wickens said of his drive. “The Corvette Z06 GT3.R is a blast to drive around this track. Every lap is a dream.”
When Wickens traded the reins to Filippi, things got ugly for the Corvette Racing team. A series of full cautions and subsequent restarts spelled trouble for the No. 1 Vette. 36, which suffered damage due to contact with competitors. However, Filippi was able to return to pole position and even fought his way to a top-five finish before finally coming home in sixth place.
“It’s sad, you know, for the team,” Filippi lamented. “They did a great job this weekend. We’ll get it. It is what it is, but move on to the next job and aim for the front line again.”
Corvette No. Giacomo Altoé’s 81 and Henrik Hedman home in 12thright in front of the No. 10 Corvette Racing duo. 13 Matt Bell and Orey Fidani. Currently, Fidani maintains his lead in the season-long Bob Akin award, which is awarded to the Bronze-ranked driver with the highest points at the end of the season.
“We wanted more, but there are positives to take from this race,” said Altoe. “The pace was very strong during my stint; I was able to get back to the lead and do some overtaking. I had a really good feeling behind the wheel.”
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